The Immigration Services Agency has published an updated list of universities whose graduates qualify for the Future Creation Individual programme, better known as J-Find. The revision is dated January 2026 and replaces the previous list.
What J-Find actually is
J-Find is not a separate status of residence. It is a form of Designated Activities that lets a recent graduate of a qualifying overseas university stay in Japan for up to two years to look for work or prepare to start a business. Holders may work part-time to support themselves during that period, and they may bring a spouse and children.
The qualifying condition is the university, not the applicant's field. A graduate qualifies if their institution appears in at least two of the three world rankings the agency uses, or if they completed a programme under a Japanese government scholarship. Graduation must have been within five years of the application.
Applicants also have to show they can support themselves — the guideline figure is at least ¥200,000 in available funds at the point of entry.
Why the list matters
Because eligibility turns entirely on the institution, the list is the whole test. Universities move in and out of it as the underlying rankings shift. Someone who checked the list a year ago and found their university on it should check again before filing, and someone who found it absent should do the same.
The agency publishes the list as a PDF and dates each version. The January 2026 edition is the one that will be applied to applications filed from now, unless it is superseded.
Where it leads
J-Find is a bridge, not a destination. The point is to convert it into a work status once a job offer is in hand — most often Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services, or the Highly Skilled Professional route for applicants who score well on the points table.
That conversion is a change of status of residence application, filed from inside Japan, and it is assessed on the merits of the job and the employer. Being on J-Find does not guarantee it.
Practical notes
The two-year period is not extendable in the ordinary sense, so the clock matters. Applicants who intend to start a business rather than take a job should look at the capital and office requirements for the Business Manager visa, which were tightened significantly in late 2025 and are now a much higher bar than they were when J-Find launched.
Source: Immigration Services Agency — Designated Activities (Future Creation Individual)